Where coal was once mined at the Auguste Victoria colliery, an industrial park of the future is now being created: Companies are settling on more than 90 hectares at gate.ruhr in Marl, transforming the planned industrial park into a strong business location. The book retailer Thalia is taking the first step with a production and logistics site on 12.5 hectares. The company wants to supply its bookstores in Germany and handle the delivery of online orders from Marl.
Thalia will invest 100 million euros in the site and create up to 1,000 jobs. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2024, with the first deliveries expected to leave the center in the second half of 2025. For Mona Neubaur, NRW Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, the choice of location is a positive signal: "With the construction of the modern and sustainable production and logistics center in Marl, Thalia is breaking new and innovative ground. As the government of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, we were happy to actively support this investment because it is a great signal for our location, especially in economically challenging times. The Marl site will provide impetus and continue to support change in the region."
In addition to technical innovations, Thalia in Marl is also focusing on ecological aspects: Numerous charging stations for electric cars and bicycles, green roofs and facades, and a PV system on the roof are just some of the features that Thalia plans to implement.
